Editor…At Realnews 9th Anniversary Lecture
As Realnews Magazines organizes its 9th Anniversary Lecture scheduled to hold on Thursday, November 18, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMD), Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote will be the guest lecturer for the event.
At event which will hold at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, by 10 am prompt, Wabote will dwell on the topic, “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: The Oil and Gas Perspective.”
According to Publisher of Realnews Magazine Online, Maureen Chigbo, the choice of the 2021 topic is “borne out of the realisation that at present, the Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil. As we think of weaning the country of this dependency and lay emphasis on gas (especially with the declaration of the decade for gas in Nigeria by the federal government), we believe speakers at the lecture can provide a guide to achieve this objective, especially as more oil and gas are being discovered in countries in Africa at a time the integration of the African market through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has begun and emphasis is shifting to sustainable renewable energy resources.”
Chigbo said, the lecture also provides an opportunity to chart a cause for Africa’s economic development given the “ongoing debate on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, AfCFTA, whose implementation began on January 2021, amidst the controversy over the adoption of a regional currency by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and how this will affect exploitation of oil and gas resources in Nigeria and the continent in general.”
Chigbo, who made the announcement on Sunday, October 31, added that “The lecture presents an opportunity for different experts to share their experiences on economic development in Africa with a mix of the growing audience following Realnews Magazine services on various media platforms. The Lecture is expected to have a massive positive impact on society.”
Like in previous occasions, it will also feature a stimulating Panel Discussion by economic experts with guaranteed audience participation.
Prior to his appointment as the NCDMB executive secretary, Wabote had worked briefly in the banking sector before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigeria Limited, where he rose to the position of executive director and general manager business and government relations for Shell Companies in Nigeria.
Realnews past anniversary lecturers include Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha (2020); former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, (2019); Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu (2018); former Minister of Education and Vice President, World Bank, Dr. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili (2017); Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head, United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas (2016); former Governor, CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo (2015), and former Chairman, INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu (2014).
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